overgraze

over·graze | \ ˌō-vər-ˈgrāz

How to pronounce overgraze (audio)

\

overgrazed; overgrazing; overgrazes

Definition of overgraze

transitive verb

: to allow animals to graze (an area, such as a pasture) to the point of damaging vegetational cover

Examples of overgraze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cattle and sheep overgraze on the zacaton, and farmers burn the grass to promote new growth in pastures and cut it for thatch. — National Geographic, "Volcano rabbit," 23 Jan. 2020 In this case, individual Arizonans are being asked to guard the public good, while policy makers, developers and multinational corporations overgraze our water to the detriment of the greater good. — John D'anna, azcentral, "Yes we live in a desert, but is it really up to each of us to conserve water?," 15 Dec. 2019 Without sharks, fish would overgraze and destroy our oceans. — Stephanie Bedo, Fox News, "Shark attacks: What you know about sharks is wrong," 16 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overgraze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Overgraze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overgraze. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.

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